Did you see the item by Todd Price recently about chef Gerard Maras? He noted that BlackenedOut blogger Rene Louapre called Maras "the most important chef in New Orleans history" because so many of New Orleans' top chefs were trained in his kitchens.

These days, Maras is one of the cooking teachers at the New Orleans Cooking Experience, which is offering two new types of cooking classes this fall in their gorgeous location, an 1891 "Jigsaw Victorian" three-story house.

"People are always asking for classes in sauces and frying," said Judy Jurisich, the school's owner. And those are two of the new workshop classes which Maras is going to teach.

"He's so nurturing," Jurisich said of Maras. "He's such a darling man."

The workshop classes, which will be taught by the school's other teachers as well, are three-and-a-half hours, all hands-on, and will start at 5:30 p.m. on Tuesdays except for the first one.

Other workshop classes will include chef Chiqui Collier teaching "tailgating and football watching" dishes on Sept. 24, Thanksgiving and Christmas side dishes on Oct. 8; and Holiday Desserts, Oct. 22 ; Maras on frying on Oct. 1, appetizers and canapes on Oct. 15, and sauces on Oct. 29.

In addition, chef Frank Brigtsen will teach "All about Gumbos" on Nov. 12, making seafood, chicken and andouille, and gumbo z'herbes. Topics for more hands-on classes are still in the works, too.

The school will also teach their regular Creole and Cajun classes on Thursday and Friday nights, and the one for Saturday lunch, Jurisich said. These are demonstration classes, followed by a four-course seated meal of the food students have just seen made, with wine.

In addition to the regular classes and the new workshop ones, the school will offer new Sunday brunch classes on mornings when there is no noon Saints game. Jurisich said the brunch classes ($165) will feature "both traditional Louisiana brunch menus and some other unique ones."

The first brunch class, on Sunday, Sept. 15, is with teacher Boo Macomber (who is from Cajun country and who is a riot). The menu includes Shrimp Rosemary, Grits and Grillades, Spinach Artichoke Oyster Casserole and Bananas Foster. Maras teaches brunch classes on Sept. 29 and Oct. 13, then teacher Chiqui Collier will teach the ones on Oct. 20 and Nov. 10, 17 and 24.

"I'm excited about this," Jurisich said of the new workshops and brunches. The workshops will use both kitchens.

In 2004, the late Alton Doody renovated the big raised-basement house at 1519 Carondolet to be a cooking school, Culinaria, which opened in January, 2005. At the time, I wrote, "All is old New Orleans elegance inside the wide center hall, two front parlors and three dining rooms, with their glazed walls, original fireplaces and heart-of-pine floors."

In contrast, two snazzy kitchens, in which the granite countertops contrast with big windows of wavy glass, were full of brand-new appliances that weren't even on the market yet. Poppy Tooker was one of the cooking teachers, as she is at The New Orleans Cooking Experience.

Two years ago, The New Orleans Cooking Experience moved out of The House on Bayou Road, where it was for eight years, into what used to be Culinaria. "I asked if I could rent it for a couple of months while I find a place to land," Jurisich said. "And we liked it so we decided to stay. It's really a very pleasant place."

Jurisich said they've done weddings and corporate events in the space - Tabasco and Popeye's are regular clients - which also includes lots of seating in a brick-paved courtyard strung with overhead lights.

"We did something with the Melpomene Neighborhood Association, and they had an art auction. We did the viewing of the art there, the food here, and the auction in the courtyard," Jurisich said.

Jurisich also rents the downstairs. There, last week, chef Ryan Hughes was planning his first Purloo pop-up restaurant in this, his new temporary space until he has a permanent one at the new Southern Food and Beverage Museum, which is in the works two blocks away.

Doody fitted out the downstairs with dark wood and a clubby look for wine events, and Hughes said he will seat guests in four of the rooms.

By the middle of the week, he had already sold out 40 seats.

For reservations at the Friday night Purloo pop-up, call 504.430.1840. For more information about the classes at The New Orleans Cooking Experience, see their website, www.noce.com, or call 504.430.5274.

Jurisich shared two recipes that Maras is going to teach. The first is from his chicken class. The second, featuring a veloute, one of the French mother sauces, that will be taught with other sauces.

Country Braised Chicken with Peppers and Vinegar

1 red bell pepper, diced

4 jalapenos, diced

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 bunch green onions, sliced

3/4 cup cane vinegar

1/4 cup olive oil

1 tablespoon kosher salt

1 tablespoon fresh ground black pepper

1 tablespoon chili powder

Whole chicken cut into 8 pieces

3 cups flour

2 tablespoons cornstarch

1/3 cup chopped parsley

2 cups vegetable oil

Salt and pepper

3 ripe tomatoes, cut in 1-inch dice

2 yellow onions, cut in 1/2-inch slices

2 bay leaves

1 teaspoon dry thyme

1 quart rich chicken stick

In a stainless or glass bowl mix together peppers, garlic, green onion, oil, vinegar, salt, pepper and chili powder. Add chicken to this mixture and allow to marinate.

Mix flour, cornstarch, 1/4 cup of chopped parsley with salt and pepper together for dredging chicken. Heat oil in large skillet. Dredge chicken in flour mixture and add to skillet.

Brown chicken on all sides and place in a large cast iron pot. When all the chicken has been browned, drain all but 2 tablespoons of oil from skillet. Add about 2 tablespoons flour to skillet and deglaze with 1 cup of the stock. Add onions, tomatoes, bay leaf and thyme to the chicken with 1/2 cup of drained vegetables from the marinade.

Add stock from the skillet, and enough of the remaining stock to half submerge the chicken. Partially cover the pot and place in a 400 degree oven for 15 minutes. Turn chicken to coat with stock and remove cover. Reduce oven temperature to 350 and cook for an additional 25 minutes.

Test chicken for doneness, and when completely done remove pot from the oven.. Take chicken pieces from the pot and transfer to a serving casserole. Place pot on stove and over a moderate heat simmer, removing any rising oils that surface. Adjust seasoning and sauce consistency before ladling over the chicken.

Serve with rice and field peas if desired. Sprinkle with remaining parsley.

In a large stainless skillet melt1 tablespoon butter. When heated, add vegetables and seasonings. Cook over low heat to soften vegetables; do not brown. Add shrimp and Creole veloute and simmer until shrimp are just cooked, then incorporate remaining butter.